Sandy Carmany interview

Greensboro City Council Member Sandy Carmany was interviewed this morning on the Dusty Dunn program with John Hammer of the Rhino Times on 1070 am radio.

Ms. Carmany was asked about the rumored 4 cent tax increase for the 2006-07 year and about the plan to put up to $120 million in bond issues on the Nov. ballot.

She thinks that the 4 cent increase will probably happen, but she also said that the cost of paying for past bonds was lower than had been predicted. She predicted that bonds being considered for the next election will be tweeked to be less than $100 million, maybe even as low as $80 million. ( Is $80 million low? )

She agrees with Tom Phillips that the bond issue should only include financing for city-owned facilities. This would eliminate such things as a YWCA swimming pool and the local Civil Rights Museum as well as other privately-held projects being considered.

She talked about the possibility of combining some of the city fire department operations with the county. This has been discussed briefly in city council meetings. There is already some cooperation and negotiations going on with several area volunteer departments.

About the report that members of the City Council received about the Greensboro Police Dept. Ms. Carmany said that she could only say for sure that she did not leak the report to the media. She also said that the N&R has reported that they have a 75 page report. This particular report is a combination of the report by RMA and the report of the Greensboro City Legal Dept. Only City Council Members and city staff who helped prepare it have had access to this particular report. That is the reason Ms. Carmany and other council members feel sure that the report was leaked by a council member.

All city staff who may have had access to these reports have been cleared of suspicion.

What I don't understand is: if the staff and legal dept. can be cleared without a lie-detector test, why would the Mayor and City Council members spend $500 apiece for these tests on themselves. Also, if any of this scandal gets into court, will the public get more information than we have now? And, will any of it ever get to court where the accusers face the accused?

And the speculation goes on, and on, and on.